Coming Home
by westwingnut221
Summary: Post Endgame. How does Kathryn adjust to being back in the Alpha Quadrant. Will Chakotay be there for her? Completely JC.


"Coming Home?"

By westwingnut221

10/18/2006

Summary: Post Endgame. How does Kathryn adjust to being back in the Alpha Quadrant. Will Chakotay be there for her? Completely JC.

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.

Captain Kathryn Janeway, golden girl of Starfleet and newly-returned hero of the Delta Quadrant, sat in her luxurious new office. She glanced out the window at her fabulous view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge and desperately wished it was stars whizzing by. Yes, after seven years of trying to get home, after all the dangers and perils she had faced, she couldn't get comfortable on Earth. Everything had changed since Voyager had left. She was restless.

With a sigh, she rose from her chair and poured her fourth cup of coffee of the morning. Even that couldn't comfort her. She missed her crew. Tuvok and Harry, Tom and B'elanna, the Doctor. Hell, she even missed Seven. Most of all, though, she missed him. That last day on the bridge would be etched in her mind until the day she died.

"_Computer, lights to 25."_

_Kathryn stepped onto the dim bridge and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. It was strange to see no one at their posts, but the entire crew was at the party Tom had organized in the mess hall. Voyager was docked at DS9, awaiting it's final influx of provisions before they finally returned to Earth. Paris had taken full advantage of the fact that absolutely no crew was needed that day, not even a skeleton crew, to plan the welcome home party of the decade. They all knew they'd be swamped once they got home and they wanted one last party that was just them._

_But, Kathryn had slipped out a little early. She needed some time alone. To think. It had all happened so abruptly. Admiral Janeway's arrival, her plan, her sacrifice, and their arrival back in the Alpha Quadrant. She slid into her command chair and looked out the viewscreen that had been her world for so long. Her mind wandered in the peace and quiet. She was starting to think about what might come next. Not only for herself, but also for the people who had become her family._

_Admiral Paris had already informed her that the Maquis would be exonerated of their "crimes" and given full pardons. That was a huge relief off her mind. Although, she would have been fully prepared to do whatever it took to keep them out of jail._

_The hiss of the turbolift doors interrupted her thoughts. Only one person would have been paying close enough attention to notice her leaving the party._

"_Come sit down, Chakotay."_

_She didn't look at him as he sat down to her left. Neither spoke. That was one of the many things that she loved about their friendship. They never felt the need to make idle conversation. Companionable silence filled the bridge._

_Eventually, Chakotay's mind brought up something that he'd been thinking about a lot in the last few days._

"_I can't believe we actually made it."_

"_I know. I always knew we'd do it, but believing it and seeing it are two very different things."_

_He nodded. "Have you thought any about what you'll do next?"_

"_I've just begun to. I think I'll take a break for a few months. Go home to Indiana and see my mom and Phoebe. After that, we'll see what Starfleet can offer me."_

"_I would think that they'll be falling over themselves to give you whatever you want."_

_A smile played across her face. "I would hope so."_

_He chuckled._

"_What about you?" she asked. _

"_If Starfleet will let me stick around, I certainly wouldn't mind. Maybe I'll teach."_

"_You'd make a wonderful teacher." She'd make sure to put a word in for him. Kathryn couldn't help but notice that he hadn't mentioned Seven in his plans. She refrained from mentioning it._

_Finally, they turned to meet each others eyes, as they had so many times. _

_He held his hand up, palm towards her. She echoed him and took his hand in hers._

"_We won't lose touch now that we're back, will we?" she asked with a lump in her throat._

"_Never," he answered._

She sighed and took a sip of her now stone-cold coffee. How long had she been caught up in her memories?

The chime on her door sounded.

"Come."

Admiral Paris strode into her office, with his usual energy. "Katie, how are you?"

She stood and crossed to him. He wrapped her in a big hug. "I'm doing well, Owen. Thank you."

"Glad to be done with all the de-briefings?" He grinned, knowing how she'd had to keep her temper in check.

"Gods, yes!" She grinned back. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No, thank you. I've actually come to talk to you about your next posting. Starfleet Command is prepared to give you whatever you want. We're ready to promote you to Admiral and give you an administrative position. . ." A vision of Admiral Janeway flitted through Kathryn's mind. "We're equally ready to give you command of any ship in the fleet. I think they might even kick Jean-Luc off the Enterprise if you said you wanted it."

A blush graced her cheeks as she said, "That won't be necessary, Owen. There's only one ship I want to command."

"Done. Name it."

"Voyager."

"But, Katie, they're making it into a museum. No one will command it. We need to preserve it, so that further generations can study it and learn from the hell you went through."

"There were times when it was hell, but so much of it wasn't! It's home for me now, Owen. It's more home to me than anywhere on Earth is. I need Voyager. Just think, if you let me keep it, we can just give those future generations more to learn about."

She sensed him wavering.

"You said I could have whatever I want and I want Voyager. I'll resign my commission, if I don't get her."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Deadly."

"Very well," he said, standing. "Voyager is yours. I'll get the paperwork started for the re-fitting and let the curator know he's going to have to wait a while to get his hands on it."

"Thank you, Owen."

As he left, Kathryn felt a sense of contentment spread through her that she hadn't felt in quite a while. Now, for the next phase, she thought, as she sat down at her computer.

/\

Kathryn sat back and picked up the PADD on her desk. She grinned.

She had put out a transmission letting her former crew know that she was once again in command of Voyager. She added that anyone who wanted their old position was more than welcome to it.

The PADD contained their responses. Almost every single one of them was thrilled to be back on her crew. From the people she had spoken to, she knew they missed it just as much as she did.

The only person she hadn't heard a response from was Chakotay. She knew he had been offered a position teaching anthropology at the Academy, but she thought maybe . . .

Well, she had been wrong. The last she heard from him, he was visiting Dorvan before his classes started.

Voyager wouldn't be the same without him by her side. How could she have someone else sitting in his seat, giving her advice, working with their crew? No one would have his strength, his passion, his loyalty, his intuition.

She didn't want to force him, but . . .

She put a transmission through to him. Not video. Just text.

**Chakotay,**

**Would you care to join me?**

**It won't be the same without you.**

**I know how much you want to teach, but . . . I need you.**

**Hoping to see you soon,**

**-Kathryn**

/\

Kathryn sat in her ready room on Voyager. They were all ready to leave, except her new first officer wasn't here yet.

After receiving no response from Chakotay (Damn him!), she had put the responsibility of finding a new XO on Starfleet Command. She certainly couldn't be expected to find one. No one would make her happy. She'd deal with whoever they chose and try to make the best of it. She wasn't happy about it, but didn't really have a choice.

She stood and went to gaze out of her favorite viewport. It usually gave her peace, but today it didn't work.

Her door chimed.

"Come."

"Captain," Tuvok's voice greeted her. "Our first officer is on his way to the bridge."

"Has Starfleet sent us his information yet?"

"It's being uploaded to your station as we speak, Captain."

She shook her head. "Leave it to Starfleet to wait until the last minute. Thank you, Tuvok." She followed her old friend onto the bridge.

Tom grinned at her from his place at the helm. Newly promoted Lieutenant Harry Kim stood proudly at Ops and Tuvok peeled off from her to take his place at Tactical. Just as she was about to sit, the turbolift hissed open and out stepped her new first officer.

Her breath caught in her throat. "Chakotay."

As he crossed the bridge to her, a grin split his face. "Commander Chakotay, reporting for duty, Captain."

"I didn't think you were coming."

"There was never any question in my mind, but I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, it worked." She realized the bridge crew were all smiling unabashedly at their command team. "Could I see you in my ready room, Commander?"

"We are ready to leave whenever you are ready, Captain."

"Thank you, Tuvok. We'll just be a minute."

As soon as the doors shut behind them, she rushed into his arms. "I'm so glad you came! The prospect of someone else as my first officer was torture to me."

"Well, I got this message that said that I was needed and . . . you know, I could never refuse you anything."

She looked up into his wonderfully familiar face. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do."

He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek and leaned down to press his lips, ever so lightly, to hers. She brought her hand up to the nape of his neck to hold him to her, even when he would have pulled away.

When they finally broke apart, she laid her head on his chest and said, "I don't want you to be just my first officer on this trip. I want you to be my husband."

She could hear his heart skip a beat before he said, "What about protocol?"

Kathryn looked into the eyes of the only man she could see herself spending the rest of her life with and smiled. "To hell with protocol."

He gave her a dimpled grin and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you."

"Well, we can spend the rest of our lives arguing about it."


End file.
